Gourock mum Siobhan McCready now top Unite official

In our our latest People In Inverclyde series, this week we speak to Unite regional officer Siobhan McCready who is also passionate advocate of women's rights, and has risen through the ranks of one of the country's most influential unions.

Her journey has taken the mum-of-three from community learning and development worker, to local organiser and shop steward, public speaker various voluntary roles in the union, Labour election candidate and now top official.

In that time the 58-year-old has championed many causes including advancing the rights of women in the workforce, disability and mental health, helping set up a group for men members after the pandemic.

She first became involved in campaigning while relying on lifeline NHS services for her daughter Allannah, who is now 33.

It was this experience that ignited a passion to speak up for those without a voice leading her to represent co workers and become active in Unite.

Now she is the first in the door to help her members both individually and a group sometimes on the worst days of their lives.

Most recently she has been supporting workers based Berry BPI Plastic in Greenock, after the loss of NHS orders forced them to close their manufacturing base in Greenock.

Former Inverclyde Council community learning and development worker Siobhan said: "It is a privilege to do this job but there is a massive pressure. You are there for people sometimes at the very worst times in their lives, and sometimes you are the only one giving them a voice. It might be an individual who has a terminal illness. Or it might be a group of workers who are told they are losing their jobs.

"I deal with victims of harassment, people who are not on the right grade. It take in everything.

"If you can just find a way to make the worst day of their life just that bit more bearable.

"Or is it can be a whole workforce getting told that they are losing their jobs. Every day is different and you never know what you are walking in to.

"So often as well I am contacted as a last resort. But the best part of my job is finding a way to make it better. Whether that is getting a member extra money they were not going to get.

"It is a demanding job, you are on call 24 hours a day. But that call can make all the difference."

The former community learning and development worker with Inverclyde Council has served in a number of roles in the Unite movement from campaigner on the ground, an organiser and now regional officer.

In her current demanding position she is in the room when decisions are made across all sectors from council home care support workers to engineers and those on the production line in factories.

Siobhan McCready and her local branch Unite support community foodbank (Image: George Munro)

The West of Scotland regional officer added: "My job is to go in and get the best possible outcome for my members. You have to use all your skills, Some times you have to use soft skills and sometime you play hard ball. But more often than not it is about having good relationships with management and HR.

"Some people think the union is all about industrial action and strikes. But it really isn't like that at all. It is about working with people."

From her days at the council Siobhan has been passionate about the rights of women and young girls.

She added: "As a woman I think sometimes you come at situations and find a different way of looking at something, how to fix it and come up with a solution. People have said to me 'I didn't think of that.'

"I think as well it is important for a woman to be in the room when the discussions are taking place, we need to be represented."

Siobhan who has three grown up children Gary, 36, Allannah, 33, and Roberta, her youngest by choice.

Both Siobhan and husband became foster parents and Roberta 21 has chosen to stay with them for life. They also have grandson Myles, 2.

It was the experience of relying on lifeline NHS services for Allannah, that drove home to Siobhan the need to keep services at Inverclyde Royal, She recognised how difficult it was for families in Inverclyde when they faced long travels to Glasgow.

Siobhan, right, with daughter Allannah (Image: Newsquest)

Siobhan felt there was a need to speak up for local people.

In her desire to be heard Siobhan found herself in local Labour politics and even stood as a candidate in the 2016 Scottish Parliament elections.

An experience that was emotional and a bruising one as she faced online abuse.

At the time Siobhan was one of the first to raise the alarm about dangers to Inverclyde Royal services moving out to Glasgow.

She said: "It was a hard time to stand for Labour but I put myself out there at the lowest time for the party."

But since then Siobhan became increasingly involved in the Unite movement, which started when she worked her way up in community learning and development Inverclyde Council.

Now as she looks after members from Inverclyde to Ayrshire and all the way to the borders she said that it is a dream job.

Siobhan added: "What I love about working for Unite, I can put what I believe in to practice. One of the unfortunate things about politics is that many people find themselves having to compromise what they believe in."

In her role with the local branch she works closely with local officials helping the local community with donations to places like Auchmountain Halls and helping the lowest paid members in their times of need.